Oxygen transport reactors for co-generating ammonia and power

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12370522-B2
Application number	US-202217841265-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2022
Priority date	Jun 15, 2022
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A system for co-generating ammonia and power is described. The system includes oxygen transport reactors having an ion transport membrane (ITM) that separates a feed side and a permeate side. The feed side includes a feed inlet and a feed outlet, and the permeate side includes a permeate inlet and a permeate outlet. A first feed inlet receives water vapor to be converted into hydrogen and first oxygen, and a second feed inlet receives air to be split into nitrogen and second oxygen. The ITM selectively allows permeation of the first oxygen and the second oxygen to respective permeate side to support oxy-combustion process. A first feed outlet discharges hydrogen and a second feed outlet discharges nitrogen, where the hydrogen and the nitrogen are combined in a catalytic converter to form ammonia. Combustion gases from the oxygen transport reactors are used to run a gas turbine to extract power.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for co-generating ammonia and power, the system comprising:
a first oxygen transport reactor (OTR) comprising a first ion transport membrane (ITM) separating a first feed side and a first permeate side, the first feed side including a first feed inlet and a first feed outlet, the first permeate side including a first permeate inlet and a first permeate outlet, wherein the first feed inlet is configured to receive water vapor to be converted into hydrogen and first oxygen on the first feed side, the first ITM is configured to selectively permeate the first oxygen to the first permeate side for combustion, the first feed outlet is configured to discharge the hydrogen, and the first permeate outlet is configured to discharge a first combustion gas;
a second OTR comprising a second ITM separating a second feed side and a second permeate side, the second feed side including a second feed inlet and a second feed outlet, the second permeate side including a second permeate inlet and a second permeate outlet, wherein the second feed inlet is configured to receive air comprising nitrogen and second oxygen, the second ITM is configured to selectively permeate the second oxygen to the second permeate side for combustion, the second feed outlet is configured to discharge the nitrogen, and the second permeate outlet is configured to discharge a second combustion gas;
a convertor for receiving the hydrogen from the first feed outlet and the nitrogen from the second feed outlet to produce ammonia; and
a gas turbine for receiving the first combustion gas from the first permeate outlet and the second combustion gas from the second permeate outlet to produce power,
wherein the first OTR is positioned adjacent to the second OTR and configured to absorb combustion heat from the second OTR.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the system includes a plurality of first OTRs and a plurality of second OTRs, and
the plurality of first OTRs and the plurality of second OTRs are arranged substantially parallel to one another along a first direction.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
one or more first OTRs and one or more second OTRs are arranged alternatingly in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and
at least one first OTR and at least one second OTR are arranged alternatingly in a third direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein:
the one or more first OTRs and the one or more second OTRs are evenly spaced in the second direction, and
the at least one first OTR and the at least one second OTR are evenly spaced in the third direction.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first OTR and the second OTR are in direct contact with each other for heat exchange.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
the system includes a plurality of first OTRs and a plurality of second OTRs,
at least one first OTR is in direct contact with four second OTRs, and
at least one second OTR is in direct contact with four first OTRs.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat conducting structure that connects the first OTR to the second OTR, the heat conducting structure comprising a heat conductor material having a melting point above 1100° C.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the heat conducting structure comprises:
a first portion that surrounds and is in direct contact with the first OTR;
a second portion that surrounds and is in direct contact with the second OTR; and
a third portion connecting the first portion to the second portion.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shell that surrounds the first OTR and the second OTR, the shell comprising a thermal insulator material.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a filler structure filling empty space between the first OTR and the second OTR in the shell, the filler structure comprising a heat conductor material having a melting point above 1100° C.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
a heat transfer medium is configured to fill empty space between the first OTR and the second OTR in the shell, the heat transfer medium comprises metallic beads.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first OTR is cuboid or cylindrical, and
the second OTR is cuboid or cylindrical.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a condenser for cooling the first combustion gas and the second combustion gas, which exit from the gas turbine, to obtain carbon dioxide gas and liquid water.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a concentrated solar power system (CSP) configured to provide heat for the first OTR and the second OTR.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the CSP is configured to heat the liquid water, which exits from the condenser, to obtain water vapor to be fed to the first feed inlet.

16. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a compressor for compressing the carbon dioxide gas to obtain compressed carbon dioxide.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a storage unit for storing a first portion of the compressed carbon oxide; and
a conduit configured to direct a second portion of the compressed carbon oxide to the first permeate inlet and the second permeate inlet.

18. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a heat exchanger located between the first OTR and the condenser and configured for the liquid water, which exits the condenser, to absorb heat from the convertor before fed to the first feed inlet.

19. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a manifold located upstream the first OTR and the second OTR, the manifold comprising a connection surface and a plurality of delivery pipes configured to deliver a fuel composition individually to the first permeate inlet and the second permeate inlet.

20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising:
a plurality of valves, each configured to individually open or close a respective delivery pipe.

Assignees

• Univ King Fahd Pet & Minerals
• King Abdullah City For Atomic & Renewable Energy K A Care

Inventors

• Habib Mohammed Abdulaziz
• Imteyaz Binash

Classifications

• B01D53/229 Primary

  Integrated processes (Diffusion and at least one other process, e.g. adsorption, absorption) · CPC title

• C01B32/50

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• C01B13/0251

  by making use of membranes · CPC title

• C01B13/0207

  Water · CPC title

• C01C1/04

  Preparation of ammonia by synthesis (preparation or purification of gas mixtures for ammonia synthesis C01B3/025) · CPC title